No. 4 UConn Escapes Near Upset in 103-98 Overtime Win Against Providence
In a nail-biting thriller between two bitter rivals, the 4th-ranked UConn Huskies clawed back in the closing minutes of regulation to pull out an overtime victory in enemy territory over the Providence Friars.
Four UConn Starters Score 20+ Points in High-Scoring Finish
Who needs a spark off the bench when everyone in the starting line-up is lighting it up on offense, at least that’s the approach the Huskies had in this game. UConn finished the game being thoroughly outscored 37-3 in bench points by Providence, but that mattered little for the Huskies in the win.
The two stars of the show on offense for UConn in freshman Braylon Mullins and Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr, who fed off one another to propel UConn to the win. Mullins dropped a career-high 24 points on 6 made threes, while Demary Jr finished with 23 points and 15 assists as he dropped dimes all over for his Huskies teammates to feast off of.
The Huskies were down as much as 12 in the game with just over 4 minutes left in the game, before going on a 9-0 run to close the distance heading into the final minute of regulation. Heading into the last 30 seconds down two, UConn Center Tarris Reed Jr cleaned up and put back a missed shot by teammate Alex Karaban to tie and send the game into overtime.
Providence Has Best Offensive Outing Despite the Loss
Although Providence wasn’t able to close out UConn to complete the upset, the Friars’ offense came to play tonight. Providence was able to poke holes in one of the best defenses in the country, as they shot an efficient 50% from the field and a scorching 58% from three-point land.
Sophomore Ryan Mela led the way on offense for Providence, as he dropped 19 points while coming off the bench. Freshman Jamier Jones had a solid outing for the Friars as well, as the four-star recruit scored 18 points in the loss.
The only issue for Providence in their loss was their carelessness with the ball and their defense in the closing minutes of regulation, as well as overtime. The Huskies matched the Friars in terms of efficiency from the field as they shot 49% overall and 56% from three. The Friars also committed more turnovers than assists, with 17 turnovers versus just 15 assists.
UConn Gains Distance in Big East Regular Season Title Race
Coming into the game, the Huskies remained the only undefeated team in Big East play at 4-0. Following their win and Villanova’s loss earlier today, the Huskies now sit comfortably in first place in the Big East with a little bit of breathing room to boot.
Tonight’s win for UConn also marked the 11th straight victory for the Huskies, who now sit at an impressive 15-1 on the season. That last loss for UConn came at home against the currently number-one-ranked Arizona Wildcats back in November.
What’s Next on the Schedule for Both Teams
After the game tonight, the Big East conference season is now officially over a quarter of the way complete, and here’s what lies ahead for UConn and Providence moving forward this week.
The Huskies will square off at home against DePaul, which is coming off back-to-back wins against Xavier and Georgetown. That home game will mark just the second the Huskies have played this month, as they’ve been living on the road since the start of the new year.
For Providence, they’ll travel to Cincinnati on Saturday to face off against Xavier, with the Musketeers looking to snap a three-game losing streak heading into Saturday’s game.
